Jain Shwetambar Conference Herald 1913 Book 09

Author(s): Mohanlal Dalichand Desai
Publisher: Jain Shwetambar Conference

Page 78

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ond flex2r2t pas. forms of anger and pride ; attachment takes the forms of deceitfulness and greed in the living being. These forces are felt as impelling forces to wrong action, but they do not compel us; anger may inmpel us to injure someone, but does not compel us to do so ;'we are free to refrain. Anger is no more a quality of the pure soul than the dirty colour of muddy water is a quality of water ;-water is white or . colourless, the pure soul is forgiving.
The examples suggested above, butterfly, man, for a concrete idea of soul are beings in the process of development. According to the Jain belief, there is an infinity of souls whose development is completed ; and there is an infinity of souls whose development has not begun (avyakta nigoda )
During the process of development the being goes through a series of reincarnations until it reaches the state where it lives without any material body, gross or fine. There are four planes in which existence is possible during this process of development, namely (1) the angel, (2) human, (3) animal, vegetable, mineral, (4) hell. According to the life, whether good or bad, in any one of these states, so is the next life, fortunate or unfortunate; we reap as we sow, FORTUNE AND MISFORTUNE ARE NOT ACCIDENTAL.
The pure soul is invisible, and it is only the matter in combination with the soul that renders it in a sense visible, giving the soul a visible body, either fine as in the case of angels, or gross like our own. The body is no factor of the soul; we are different from the body. If we disregard all that is visible in a butterfly, angel, or man, what is there left to be called a living soul ? Knowledge, or consciousness is left, and is invisible literally ; belief is left; attention and choosing are left. All there are invisible; the man's consci. ousness of the butterfly, belief that it feels pain and carefulness not to hurt it, are not qualities of the body. A sew. ing machine exercies no conscious carefulness, you can never get consciousness into a machine ; only soul is conscious and feels.
The qualities of the soul are infinite, but the characte. ristic quality is knowledge ; where there is soul there is know. ledge; where there is no knowledge, or consciousness, there is no soul. When all impurity is removed from thə being,